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Dakar 2013: two Ivecos in the Top 10, De Rooy 4th, Kuipers 9th

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Team Petronas De Rooy Iveco takes 4th, 9th and 13th positions in the final general rankings of the Dakar 2013, starting respectively with Gerard de Rooy in an Iveco Powerstar, Renè Kuipers in an Iveco New Trakker Evolution 3 and Miki Biasion in an Iveco New Trakker Evolution 2.

At the end of stage 14, the last segment of the Dakar, Gerard de Rooy finished in 2nd followed by Miki Biasion in 3rd. While impressive, these results did not serve to impact the overall truck classifications.

Gerard de Rooy and his Iveco Powerstar lost the race to the podium by just over three minutes behind the 3rd place winner. Despite his tenacity and great efforts in the face of a series of hardships and challenging surroundings throughout the rally, the Dutch driver was unable to recapture the prestigious 1st place title which he attained last year at the Dakar 2012, settling this time for a 4th place position.

De Rooy displayed his qualities as a team leader from the beginning of the race, claiming a triple victory in the first three specials. He went on to win another three specials in the course of the competition.

Teammate Miki Biasion frequently demonstrated his support capabilities to team leader De Rooy. His 13th position in the overall rankings showed a significant recovery for the driver from his earlier positioning midway through the rally.

Renè Kuipers also had an excellent comeback, finishing 9th in the general rankings: “Dakar 2013 marked my first time competing in the Truck category, it was a wonderful experience. I also developed a great appreciation for the New Trakker which I had the pleasure of driving. I really want to start all over again,” said Kuipers of his experience.

Italian driver and Dakar veteran, Miki Biasion: “This year’s Dakar proved to be very difficult due to the sand, especially in the first part of the race where there was much more varied terrain. Teamwork is essential in moments such as these when one has to face such trying challenges. I was unlucky at the beginning and lost time, but I continued to fight with the team up until the end in order to earn a place on the podium for the Iveco team colours. In the end we did not succeed in doing this, but we certainly did our very best.” A more sombre De Rooy added: “The perfect trucks, drivers who were in a perfect physical state, a truly united team and no award. I have nothing else to say.”

Thanks to an exceptional show of teamwork, Team Petronas De Rooy Iveco was still able to put two of its vehicles in the Top 10 overall classification. The Iveco vehicles taking part in the Dakar proved ideal for the rally’s extreme, off-road setting and were also optimized to allow for a high level of energy efficiency.

The highly taxing rally faced in South America served as a platform by which the vehicles and their drivers displayed courage, reflexes and problem solving abilities on a route that was rife with obstacles from desert terrain to rocks, sand dunes and often unfavourable weather conditions which caused rally organisers to cancel two rally stages.

The rally therefore represents a valuable opportunity for Iveco to see its products in action, offering the chance to test them out in extreme conditions across three South American countries: the results obtained at the Dakar demonstrate the excellent reliability of Iveco trucks as well as their strength and efficiency.

The Dakar is considered the world’s most important off-road rally, capturing the attention of millions of followers. The 2013 edition started on 5 January from Lima, Peru, crossed through Argentina and concluded on 20 January in Santiago, Chile. The race included 14 stages for a total distance of 8,000 kilometres.

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